


In Justice We Fall

by Browniesarethebest



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, F/M, I'll add more tags as the story progresses, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-22
Updated: 2017-01-18
Packaged: 2018-04-27 14:26:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5051959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Browniesarethebest/pseuds/Browniesarethebest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With one last burst of speed, Wally lunged for the ladder. He quickly struggled to climb, the weight on his back threatening to betray him and tip the rickety old ladder back onto the hoard (and what a horrifying and painful death that would be). He reached the top, yanked the ladder out of Their reach, and collapsed to the ground in relief, closing his eyes in peaceful bliss.</p>
<p>…That is until he felt something drip onto his face.</p>
<p>His eyes snapped open and the zombie roared.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I decided to post this on ao3. I'm not going to post any of my other past stories to here, but if I come up with new stuff, I'll add it to ao3 as well.

Wally skidded and used his hand to propel himself around the corner. He hitched the backpack into a more comfortable spot. Why, oh why, did cans have to clang so loudly?

The moaning became louder and Wally yelped as a hand shot out of a window and nearly grabbed him. His sneakers pounded against the pavement, but Wally wasn't sure if the noise was coming from his feet or the rapid 'thump-thump-thump' of his beating heart. His breathing was heavy and he was  _so hungry_.

Wally looked behind him and almost sobbed. The hoard had grown larger, no doubt drawn to the pounding, clanging, moaning, and maybe even the 'thump-thump-thump' of his heart.

Could zombies hear heartbeats? Wally could certainly hear his own.

Wally slid around another corner, panting. How much farther was it? It certainly didn't feel this far when he first set out. Shouldn't he be there by now? It was only—

 

There it is!

Wally saw the door and the ratty, worn down sign that proudly presented 'Atlantis Fishing and Boat Rental', but that wasn't what he was heading for—the door was boarded up to keep everyone and every _thing_  out. Instead, he was running towards the small ladder at the side of the building. It led up to the roof of the smelly, old building, which led to a small opening in the roof, which Wally used to drop down into his hideout. All he had to do was reach that ladder, pull it up, and he would be safe.

But most plans are easier said than done.

With one last burst of speed, Wally lunged for the ladder. He quickly struggled to climb, the weight on his back threatening to betray him and tip the rickety old ladder back onto the hoard (and what a horrifying and painful death that would be). He reached the top, yanked the ladder out of Their reach, and collapsed to the ground in relief, closing his eyes in peaceful bliss.

…That is until he felt something drip onto his face.

His eyes snapped open and the zombie roared. Wally screamed and shot his arms out to hold the zombie away from himself. The thing snapped its jaws, reaching wildly for Wally.

No! He wasn't supposed to die like this! He made it! He got to the roof! He was supposed to be safe!

But the zombie's face only loomed closer. Wally could smell—could  _feel_  it's disgusting, moist breath. It smelled like death. And blood.

 

Why couldn't zombies eat bugs? Nobody liked bugs—well those bug scientists apparently did, but that's not the point.

Maybe zombies could adapt and eat vegetables. Then his mom wouldn't make him eat all his vegetables. " _We can't have you being like one of those things!"_  He mocked her voice in his head.

The thought of his mother made him sad. She wasn't the  _worst_ mother per se, but she hadn't been a great one either. The selfish bitch.

More snapping and dripping… _stuff_  (Wally refused to dwell on what exactly it was) brought him back to reality. He looked up into the dead, milky eyes of the thing and gritted his teeth.

"Why can't you just leave me alone!" Wally, as quickly as he could (He was always told he had quick reflexes, a benefit in this never-ending nightmare), grabbed the hammer he always kept attached to his belt and smashed the zombie's head in. Blood and guts splattered his face, but Wally didn't care. The thing stopped moving. That was all that mattered.

"Looks like you  _can_  handle yourself. And I came all the way up here to help you too. What a waste." Wally's head snapped towards the voice. The blonde teen was leaning out of the opening, her arms crossed and laying on the roof as she rested her head on them.

"And what took you so long?" Wally glared. The blonde shrugged.

"We didn't realize at first, but Conner heard something walking around on the roof. We thought it was you, but it…moved differently. We were about to put a warning out for you when we heard your girly scream."

"And you just decided to take your merry time to—hey! I do  _not_ scream like a girl!" The blonde smirked and stood on the ladder that led to the opening. She dropped down to the ground below, but her voice could still be heard.

 

"Whatever you say, but I'm not sharing my, as you call it, 'girly products' with you. There's barely enough for me and Megan, let alone you."

Wally squawked and blushed, "But I'm not—will you just—ugh!" There was no use arguing with Artemis. She knew just the right buttons to push to make you stutter. Wally was still fuming inside though. He hiked the backpack back on and dropped down into the building.

 

The faint sound of moaning and clawing could be heard, but he wasn't worried. There weren't enough out there to break down the boarded up windows or door. He looked around the room.

Megan and Conner, who had been sitting on the old couch they had found in some nearby junkyard, had gotten up and walked over to him. Roy was cleaning off his arrows (Wally still didn't know why he hunted with those. They were inside zombies! What if they got infected?) Artemis was sitting on the floor with Zatanna, who was staring at the ground glumly. He frowned.

While Zatanna was only a year younger than he was, fourteen, she was the youngest of the group, automatically making her the baby of the group. Everyone tried to protect her, including her father, who had died only a day before she had found their group. She was still upset by the incident, if her screams at night were anything to go by (Thank god they never attracted too many of those things).

Finally, the leader of their little ragtag team, Kaldur, who was also the son of the owner of Atlantis Fishing and Boat Rental (who had caught the virus. Thankfully, Kaldur was spared), walked over to Wally.

"Did you get everything?" Wally nodded and slipped the backpack off his back. He zipped it open and started taking the supplies out.

"Beans. Green beans. More beans. Oh, hey! Look! More beans. Oh!" He held a can up, "Corn!" Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Did you- Did you get what I asked for?" Megan blushed, as did Wally. He nodded and pulled out the package.

"Here's your—" His eyes snapped over to Artemis, and he glared at her before looking back at Megan, "—girly product."

Megan giggled quietly and took the package, "Thank you."

Wally took out some more cans, bottles, and small boxes. "Water bottles. I even found a few bottles of Coke! Aspirin. Nyquil. Your other average medicines. And best of all…" Wally held up a box. "Cookies!"

"Wow!" Megan was smiling, and even Zatanna was staring at the box in surprise. Wally grinned and set it down with the other supplies. Kaldur stepped forward and gathered the supplies.

"Thank you, Wally. I will store these with the others. Why don't you get some rest? Today has been a stressful day for you and you deserve it."

Wally nodded his thanks. "Yeah, sure. He waved to the others as he headed for the makeshift bedroom. "I'll see you all in a couple of hours. Wake me for dinner."

He quietly closed the door and flopped down onto his 'bed' (an old mattress lying on the floor). He closed his eyes and felt the darkness almost immediately.

He just hoped there wouldn't be nightmares this time.


	2. Chapter 2

" _Wally! Run!"_

" _No! Uncle Barry!"_

" _Don't stop! Just keep going!"_

" _Uncle Bar —_"

_**"RUN!"** _

"NO!" Wally shot up from his bed. Sweat poured down his face as he gasped for breath. He whipped his head back and forth, searching for the demons that would take him as he slowly calmed down. He took in a shaky breath before standing up.

"It's just a nightmare, Wally." he muttered. "It's over and done with."

He took a minute to compose himself, wiping away a few stray tears from his cheeks, and walked out into the 'living room' as if it was just another normal day—well, as normal as a day could get in the zombie apocalypse. Megan and Conner were once again sitting on the dirty, old couch. Roy was still in the corner, polishing his arrows, and Artemis and Kaldur were huddled over a giant pot and making breakfast. Zatanna was nowhere to be found, so Wally assumed she was sleeping.

"What's for breakfast?" Wally peered into the pot. Artemis pushed his face away.

"Beans. And don't breathe on them! People are already turning into zombies. We don't need a bunch of  _yous_  stumbling around out there too."

"Hey!"

"Please. No fighting." Kaldur looked exasperated. "Wally risked his life to get this food for us. You should be thankful."

"Ha!"

"Wally." Kaldur glared. "Don't breathe on the food. No one wants that."

"Ha!"

"Will you guys just shut up?" Roy was glaring at them. "If we were out there, we'd already be dead because your yelling would attract an  _army_  of them!"

"What's with all the yelling?" Zatanna shuffled out of her room, rubbing her eyes as she also glared.

"It's nothing." Megan smiled. "Wally, Artemis, and Roy were just having their usual morning argument."

"Again? Doesn't that ever get old?" Zatanna pouted.

"No."

"Yes."

"I only told them to shut up."

Zatanna sighed and plopped down onto the floor.

Being the youngest sucked. She felt more like an outsider than a team member. They discussed strategies in front of her, but they never let her out on the supply runs. It was 'too dangerous.' She was only a year younger than Wally and Artemis. Why couldn't she help? She wanted to feel needed, but she only felt like a burden. Even in a group, she felt so…

Alone.

Zatanna missed her father.

"Breakfast is ready." Artemis announced. She ladled beans into the cracked, mismatching bowls. "Come and get it!"

The teenagers crowded around Artemis and eagerly grabbed a bowl. A few days ago, they had begun to run out of food, but Wally's supply run would keep them going for the next few weeks.

"To Wally!" Megan grinned and raised her bowl. The others smiled and also raised their bowls.

"To Wally!"

The teens began to laugh, until a loud thump and a moan was heard at the door. The laughing immediately ceased, and they each looked down.

"I'll go up there." Roy volunteered. He hefted his crossbow up and headed up the ladder. A few moments later, another thump was heard. Roy came back down with a bloody arrow.

"I hate the world." Zatanna whispered. Artemis wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Don't speak like that. It's all going to be okay. We are still alive aren't we?"

"Yeah…but my dad isn't." Zatanna mumbled.

"But you  _are_." Artemis hugged her closer while trying to fix her mistake. "We are not going to let anything happen to you."

"That's just it!" Zatanna shot up. "That's what my dad did, and do you know what happened to him? He died! And one day, it'll happen to all of you! You'll die trying to protect me, and I'll be alone again! That's how it works!" Tears were streaming from her eyes as she turned away from the group, who watched with sympathetic eyes.

"And don't give me those looks! I don't want your pity." Zatanna wrapped her arms around herself and shook.

"Zatanna…" Wally stood up and walked over to her. She stepped away from him.

"No! Don't! You guys want me to believe that I'm one of you, but how can I when you don't let me do anything? I sit around here while you all go and risk your lives! I'm nothing but a burden to you!"

"Is that how you really feel?" Megan asked, tears in her eyes. Zatanna nodded.

"Alright then. We will stop." Kaldur stood up. "We'll take you out on a supply run now. We are not in dire need of anything so if anything goes wrong we should be fine. Roy, Wally, Artemis, and I will accompany you. Megan and Conner, you will stay behind and make sure we can safely get back in." Everyone nodded.

"Alright then. Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

"Gun?"

"Check."

"Knife?"

"Check."

"Backpack?"

Zatanna rolled her eyes. "Check! Can we go now?"

"Alright! Alright!" Wally laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Finally!" Zatanna turned to climb up the ladder, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned her head to face Kaldur. "Yes?"

"This is your first time truly out, Zatanna. I know you are excited and anxious to leave, but please do remember to be careful. One wrong move, and you or one of us could become one of Them." Zatanna glared. She didn't need a reminder of the risks of going out. She had seen it herself.

Her own father...

Zatanna shook her head and walked towards the ladder. "I get it, Kaldur. I know the risks. Let's go already."

Kaldur hesitated before nodding at her and letting go. Zatanna gave him a small smile and began to climb up the ladder. As she waited for the others to get to the roof, Zatanna looked down to make sure that there weren't any of those things from the night before roaming around. They seemed to have all wandered off, the smell or sound of new prey drawing them away. Maybe they got bored. Zatanna wasn't really sure how zombies—and didn't that word make her want to laugh and cry at the same time—functioned. All she knew was that they wanted to eat, and what they ate were people.

"You ready to go?" Wally twirled his hammer in his hands.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Zatanna moved to climb down the ladder when another hand stopped her. This time, it was Wally.

"Let me go first. If anything happens—which I doubt it will because we have the greatest archer with a crossbow up here—" Roy nodded at them, "—I'm the fastest and most likely to get out of the situation."

Zatanna frowned, wanting to argue with him that she would be fine and that she knew how to take care of herself, but she found that he was right, so she stepped aside and let him climb down first. Wally looked around and gave the all clear, so Zatanna let herself down next. She wasn't about to let anyone else go before she did.

"Where should we go?" As much as she wanted to decide, she didn't know the city as well as the others.

"There's a gas station nearby." Artemis was playing with the knives hanging by her belt. Going out always made Artemis nervous. She didn't like zombies (She had been scared of watching zombie movies even before this whole mess happened), and after what happened with Jade...

No, Artemis really did not like zombies.

"Alright, that works. Which way is it?" Roy walked ahead of her.

"Just follow me." Zatanna frowned but didn't say anything as she followed after him. After all, she didn't know where they were going. It was only logical that he would lead the way instead of just telling her directions.

The group managed to make their way to the gas station without setting off any of the creatures, though they occasionally had to take out one or two. Zatanna reached out to open the door when Kaldur's hand shot out and held it back. She looked up at him questioningly.

"We need to make sure the area is secure. This is your first time out, so I will take care of it. Wait out here." Zatanna pursed her lips, wanting to argue, but ultimately surrendered. Kaldur smiled reassuringly at her before silently opening the door. Wally held it open while Kaldur hit the large pipe he carried against some of the shelves. A moan was heard, followed by a squishing sound and a thump.

"Everything is clear."

Everyone walked inside—Wally quietly closing the door behind them. They separated but made sure not to stray to far from at least one person.

Zatanna's eyes lit up as she walked down the candy aisle. "Guys! I found chocolate bars!"

"Shhhh!" Zatanna blushed and whispered a "sorry" before stuffing her bag with the sugary treats.

They headed out after gathering enough supplies. They wouldn't last too long, but they could only carry so much without being weighed down, and they still had the stuff that Wally gathered too.

"I think this went really well. Thanks, guys." Zatanna smiled at her friends.

Artemis quirked an eyebrow. "It's not quite over yet, Zee."

"Yeah, don't jinx it." Wally had only been kidding but soon regretted it as they rounded a corner. Waiting a head was a massive hoard of the monsters. They all turned at once, all hearing the scuffs and scrapes of the teens' shoes against the asphalt.

"Oh shit." Artemis could barely breathe. Zatanna had completely frozen.

"RUN!" The group took off back in the direction they had come as the zombies suddenly charged. Wally looked back, only to find Zatanna still standing there. "Zee!" He grabbed her arm and yanked her after him. Only then did she start running.

"Can't we—" Zatanna gasped and panted as she began to panic. "Can't we shoot at them? Kill them?"

"There's too many of them. It'll be suicide to try to fight them." Roy rounded another corner, trying to lose the zombies...

Only to find a dead end. "Shit! SHIT!"

Zatanna cried out. "Oh god!"

The group turned around, only to find the zombies blocking their only way out. Kaldur looked around, trying to find an escape. "There!"

There was a fire escape along one of the buildings they were trapped between. Kaldur and Roy quickly made their way over to it and tried to yank the ladder down, but it was stuck.

"Come on! Hurry up!" Wally was beginning to panic as well. He held up his baseball bat, ready to defend himself but knowing that it was futile. They were going to die.

A zombie reached out to Wally. He raised the baseball bat, preparing to swing, when a shot rang out and the creature fell. Blood sprayed Wally's face, but he didn't notice as suddenly the zombies were being mowed down by gunfire. He looked up and watched in awe as a figure in all black hopped down the fire escape, jumping off and shoving two knives into two zombies' heads as he landed. The figure yanked out the knives and put them away. He quickly unsheathed a sword and swung at another two zombies, bringing them down quickly. He was efficient, his small body giving him more maneuverability between the zombies.

The fight was over as quickly as it started. The group stared, jaws dropped (except Kaldur), before quickly gaining their composure and pointing their weapons at him, except Zatanna, who continued to stare.

"Who are you?" Artemis demanded, leveling her arrow at the mysterious person. Said person turned, pulling his hood and face mask down, revealing a young ebony-haired boy with sunglasses.

"You can call me Robin."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a filler chapter.

"Thank you...Robin." Kaldur smiled politely. "You saved our lives."

"Yeah!" Wally stepped forward, pointing an accusatory finger at the mysterious boy. "Why  _did_  you save us? We're not giving you anything."

"Because I'm a nice person?" Robin quirked an eyebrow. "Because I didn't want to watch a group of teenagers get torn to shreds by a bunch of brainmunchers?"

"Brainmunchers? What kind of stupid name is that?" Artemis scowled. Who did this kid think he was? Zombies were not something to joke about.

Especially not after...

No.

Don't go there.

"Artemis! Wally!" Zatanna smacked both teens and strode forward. She smiled at Robin. "Thank you. I know they don't sound like it, but they're thankful too. We'd be...well...dead meat." She hadn't meant to make a pun, but the smile Robin gave her made her happy that she had.

"You're welcome. It's the least I could do for fellow survivors." Robin grinned and sheathed his sword.

"That reminds me. How exactly did you get all of those weapons?" The group's eyes trailed over the array of weapons hanging off the young boy's body.

"I didn't gather them myself, except for the guns. My...last group had a bunch of swords and knives and some other really cool weapons."

"What happened to your last group?" Robin turned away.

"They're dead. They've been dead for a while." He looked around and turned back to the group. "As much as I enjoy having this lovely conversation, it's not exactly safe to be out here. I'm sure others heard the gunshots. They'll be coming."

"Robin is right." Kaldur looked around at his group. "We should go." He turned back to Robin. "Thank you for your help."

"What? That's it? He just saved our lives!" Zatanna stomped over to Kaldur. "Let's bring him back! He'd make a great addition to our group."

"Zatanna!" Artemis hissed and grabbed the girl's arm. She dragged her away from Robin. "You can't just offer to bring him back! We don't even know him! He could take our supplies and kill us all!"

"If he had wanted our supplies, he would have waited for the zombies to eat us and go away before grabbing what we had gotten at the gas station. Besides, look at him!" Zatanna gestured to Robin. "He's, like, my age!"

"And he took down a whole horde." Wally snuck glances at the boy, who was conveniently not looking at any of them. "That's one tough, dude. We don't know what he's been through, Zatanna. He said that his last group died. Why didn't he?"

"Because they died to get me out." Wally jumped and spun around.

"Don't do that!"

Robin smirked. "What? Talk?" He suddenly frowned. "They died so that I could make it. What about you guys? You're all teenagers." He gestured as he spoke. "Where are your parents? Siblings? Are they back at your base?" Robin shrugged. "I seriously doubt parents would have their children go out on runs instead of them. I'm guessing that there aren't any adults in your group, except maybe him." He nodded towards Roy. "He looks like he could be over eighteen. But the rest of you? Not so much."

"He's got a point." Zatanna argued. She turned to Robin and shocked everyone with what she said next. "My dad died to protect me."

Robin nodded in sympathy. "I'm sorry. I can relate."

Zatanna turned back towards her group. "So can we take him back? Please?"

The group frowned before converging and whispering. Zatanna couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but Robin was smirking as if he did. The group broke apart and faced them.

"We have decided to bring you back with us. However, if you do anything that makes us feel threatened, we will make you leave." Zatanna grinned and hugged Kaldur.

"Thank you!" Robin was smiled and bowed his head at the older teen.

"Yes, thank you."

* * *

"So how old are you, Robin?" Zatanna whispered, trying to make conversation with the new boy while they trudged back to base.

"I'm thirteen. I should be turning fourteen in a couple of months, give or take a few days." Zatanna's eyebrows rose.

"Really? I'm fourteen, and I'm the youngest in our group. I guess you're the youngest now." Zatanna giggled at the pout Robin gave her.

"We're here." Robin stopped to look at the building while the others continued on towards the ladder. Zatanna, finding that Robin wasn't following her anymore, looked back, frowning at the look on his face. There seemed to be a number of emotions flashing across his face: sadness, trepidation...

Hope.

Zatanna bit her lip and was about to speak when Wally yelled down from the roof. "You coming, Ninja Boy?"

Robin's head snapped up and he grinned. "Ninja Boy? Is that the best you got?" Robin ran towards the ladder and hopped on, climbing up as quickly as possible to reach the sputtering ginger. "I can do way better than that, Fleet Feet."

Zatanna laughed and grabbed the ladder. As she climbed, she could hear Robin and Wally throwing compliments disguised as insults at each other with Artemis throwing in some actual insults at Wally here and there. She reached the top and found Wally pouting while Artemis and Robin shared a high-five. She grinned.

Yeah, Robin was going to fit in  _just_  fine.


	5. Chapter 5

"Megan, Conner, we have a guest." Megan and Conner stood, looking wary and confused as the group climbed down into the room.

"A guest?" Megan watched as a strange, young boy climbed down the ladder. "Um, hello there. I'm Megan. This is my boyfriend, Conner."

Conner grunted.

The boy nodded. "You can call me Robin. It's...nice to meet you." He seemed uncomfortable as he shook Megan's hand.

"He saved our lives, Megan!" Zatanna broke the handshake as she stepped between them. "None of us would have come back. You and Conner would have been all alone!"

"What!" Megan turned towards Kaldur. "Is this true?"

Kaldur nodded. "Yes, we owe Robin our lives."

Megan turned back to Robin, pulling him in for a hug. Robin grunted in surprise.

"Thank you, Robin! I would have been so worried! We would never have known! Thank you for saving them!"

"It—It was no problem, Megan." The boy blushed. "I wasn't about to let some teenagers die. Besides, I should be thanking you all for letting me come back here. I haven't had a group in...a long time."

"How long has it been?" Megan asked softly. Robin turned away.

"It's been about two years, give or take a few weeks. It's been kind of hard to keep track of the days but yeah. It's been about two years." The teens stared at him in shock. He had been alone for two years? How had he not gone insane?

"You've been alone for all this time?" Megan teared up and drew Robin in for another bone-crushing hug, causing the boy to grunt again.

"It's okay, Megan. It wasn't really all that bad. Um, I kind of need to breathe though..." Megan gasped and immediately let go of Robin, who sucked in a breath and sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry!"

Robin smiled. "It's okay. It was actually...nice. I didn't realize how much I missed hugs."

"Well then, let's have a group hug!" Megan went in for another hug, dragging Artemis and Conner in to join. Zatanna and Wally quickly wrapped their arms around the group. Roy and Kaldur glanced at each other with a shrug before awkwardly hugging as much of the lump of people as possible.

Robin squirmed, uncomfortable with the mass of people surrounding him. "I, uh, I think that's enough, guys."

The group let go with Megan apologizing. "I'm sorry! You said you missed hugs so I thought—"

"It's all right, Megan." Robin interrupted, smiling at her. "I'm just—It's been a long time since I was with a group. I'm just not used to people yet, I guess."

Robin wasn't sure if he  _wanted_  to get used to these people. He had figured out long ago that he was a curse. That was why it hadn't...worked out...with his last two groups. It wouldn't be a good idea to stay and get attached. Robin knew from experience that it never ended well. He would always end up alone.

"How about we eat some lunch?" Zatanna suggested after a moment of awkwardness. "I'm feeling pretty hungry after all that running."

"Same." Wally ran over to their stock of food and dug through it for something good. "Oh! How about some beans!"

Artemis rolled her eyes and walked over to Wally, smacking him on the back of his head before digging through the stash herself. "Will you shut up about the beans, Baywatch? We get it. We have beans." She picked up a box of Lucky Charms. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm having cereal."

"Cereal sounds good to me." Robin smiled.

"I hope you like milkless cereal." Artemis grabbed a bowl and poured the cereal before handing the box the Robin, who grinned. "I love Lucky Charms. Thank you."

Soon, everyone had food and were sitting around, laughing at stories that the others told about their group. The occasional groans and moans from outside were ignored and for a moment, life felt normal.

"So then, Wally screeched." Artemis let out a laugh. "And I mean  _screeched_. And I was like, 'Baywatch! Shut up!' I mean, who screams at a spider anymore?"

Wally scowled at the blonde. "Hey! Just because the undead walk the Earth, that doesn't mean spiders are any less freaky."

"True that." Zatanna giggled. "Spiders still freak me out, but only if they're crawling on me."

"I guess I still hate snakes, though I haven't really seen any." Artemis leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. "My sister used to have a snake. She'd hide it in my bed whenever she was mad at me."

"You have a sister?" Megan asked, intrigued. Artemis shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable.

"I did. I'm not really sure where she is now or if she's still even alive. She bailed on me right at the beginning of all this. She said I would have been a burden to her." Artemis frowned down at her lap. No matter how much time passed, she was still bitter about it.

"Artemis..." Megan reached a hand out to her friend, but was quickly rejected. Artemis stood up, still not looking at anybody, and began to stride out of the room.

How could she have been so stupid? She had let her guard down and now they knew something personal about her. Ever since she had met the group, there had been a silent rule that no one pry into anyone's former lives. But now...

She grit her teeth. Maybe if she just ignored them for the rest of the night...

"My brother. My adoptive brother. He hated me." Artemis stopped and turned around. Everybody was now staring at Conner, who was staring down at his fists. They were clenched so tight that they were white.

"W-What?" Artemis stared. Conner looked up at her.

"My adoptive brother. He hated me." Artemis hesitated but then decided she wanted to hear the story. She sat back down in her original spot, still staring at Conner. He opened his mouth, ready to elaborate, when he was suddenly interrupted.

"Wait!" Zatanna stood. "If we're about to do this, let's do it right." She walked back over to the stash of food and gathered the box of cookies Wally had found the day before and a bottle of Jack Daniels.

"Zatanna..." Kaldur was watching her disapprovingly.

"Oh hush, Kaldur. I think we're all about to need this." She set the items down in their circle and sat back down next to Robin. She looked to Conner and nodded.

"Okay. Now we're ready." Conner took a breath and began to speak more words than any of them had heard from him.

"Alright, so here's what happened..."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being so late, guys. Writer's block and finals are killer.

"When this...whatever we want to call it—"

"Zombie apocalypse." Wally piped up. Conner glared at him. "Sorry."

"Right. That. When it started, our parents had gotten sick. I ended up coming home from school one day to see that Clark, my brother, had beaten their heads in. We got into a huge fight. I didn't understand at the time that it had to be done—that they had died and come back and tried to kill him. Clark already didn't like me that much. He had been adopted when he was a baby. I was adopted when he was almost an adult. He didn't like having someone else in the house." Conner clenched his fists. "He ignored me a lot, even when I tried to bond with him."

"Conner..." Megan put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and smiled. Megan always made him feel better.

"As much as he didn't like me, he wasn't going to leave me to fend for myself. It was just the two of us for a long time." Conner looked down at his lap, angry once again. "One day, he went out to get supplies. I waited. He didn't come back."

"Dude..." Wally frowned. "How long did you wait?"

"Two weeks. That's how long the supplies lasted with just me. By that time, I had to assume he was dead." Conner shrugged. "I was alone for about another week before I found Megan."

Megan beamed at him and took his hand. "He saved my life."

"Yeah?" Wally looked intrigued. "How did you end up in that situation?"

Artemis elbowed Wally. She didn't like the direction this conversation was going, and Wally was only encouraging it. There was no way in hell she was going to share her story.

"It's all right, Artemis. I don't mind." Megan smiled, but it wasn't happy. "I had... _a lot_ of siblings. When there's so many people to watch after and take care of...sometimes, someone is forgotten. That was usually me."

She was silent for a moment. The other teens waited, knowing she needed a moment.

Kaldur broke the silence. "You do not need to continue if you do not want to, Megan."

"No! No. It's fine. I want to tell you guys. I've been holding it in for so long." Megan looked down as her hand was squeezed. She looked up at Conner.

"Take your time."

"We're all here for a reason." Wally said.

Megan nodded, smiling gratefully at her friends. "The day the—" She glanced at Wally. "—zombie apocalypse broke out, I was at school. My family had driven off without me. I guess they had forgotten I was going to be a little late because of a quiz I needed to make up. I decided that I would wait for my friends to finish up with their club and get a ride from them." She paused, shuddering. "That was when Marvin ran in."

She looked away from the others. "We didn't understand at first. He was just—He was yelling and waving his arms and—and I think he was _crying_. We were so confused, but we eventually figured out what he was saying—that people were _eating_ each other. I didn't blame him for crying after that. A teacher went outside to prove him wrong—I mean, people eating each other? Nobody really believed him at first, not until we heard the teacher screaming. We ran to the windows and saw him being...being..."

"Devoured?" Wally piped up again. Artemis whacked his head this time. "Ow!"

"You're such an insensitive jerk!"

"I was just trying to help!"

"Quiet!" Both quickly shut up as they glanced at Robin in surprise. They had almost forgotten he was there.

"Sorry." They both muttered. Megan smiled.

"Right. That word. Anyway, one of the football players started ordering people to barricade any doors and grab any non-refrigerated food from the cafeteria. We decided that the gym would be the safest place to hole up in since all the windows were too high up to be reached easily from outside and the doors and barricades were heavy enough to keep everyone out."

Megan paused again, bringing her knees up to her chest. "We didn't know they were dead people eating other people. How could we have known? It was only after some kid pulled up a news station on their phone that we saw it.." Tears were starting to form in her eyes. "A girl—God, I don't even remember her name—she couldn't handle what was going on. She snuck out of the gym while we were sleeping and stole some pills from the nurse's office. We went looking for her and—and—"

Conner squeezed her hand again, letting her know that he was there to support her. Everyone waited patiently as she shook her head and let out a breath. She sniffed once and looked up at her friends.

"She was dead. We checked, but then she suddenly...woke up. She attacked Mr. Morris. There was a lot of screaming. Some of us, including me, fled the building. It wasn't safe there anymore, so I decided to go home. I missed my family, and I wanted to see them."

She bit her lip. "Little did I know, I was too late. I walked in the door, calling out that I was home and that I was okay..."

_"Mom! Dad! Guys!"_

Megan buried her face in her knees. "The house was dark. Power had already gone out. I managed to find a flashlight before I heard moaning..."

" _Guys?"_

"I had heard it before—when that girl died and came back. I—I followed it..."

_"Oh God! Mom!"_

"My brothers were eating my mom. They heard me scream, and then suddenly my sisters and my dad were there. They were...dead too." She couldn't bring herself to say the 'z' word. "I remember screaming and running...I got trapped in the bathroom. I don't know why I didn't run for the front door. I was scared, so I just ran in the first direction I saw."

Tears were now streaming down her face. "They were all banging on the door, and I knew it was going to break and I was going to die and probably become just like them, and I was still screaming..."

Megan suddenly glanced at Conner, smiling. "Suddenly, I heard gunshots. The moaning stopped, and I was too relieved to dwell on exactly what that meant for my family." This time, Megan squeezed Conner's hand. "There was a knock on the door..."

_"Hello? Are you all right?"_

"I cracked the door open." Megan blushed. "I, uh, flung myself at him. He had saved me, and I was still scared, but I'm glad I did."

Conner suddenly spoke up. "We were on our own for a while until we found Kaldur and this place."

"I was happy to welcome you, my friend." Kaldur smiled warmly at the couple.

There was suddenly a thump at the door, bringing everyone back to reality. Roy rolled his eyes and stood.

"I'll go take care of it. We should have done it earlier. All the noise we were making probably built up a small group of those things." Roy climbed up the ladder and disappeared.

The silence was broken by Robin.

"Thank you for telling your story, guys. I know it must have been tough."

Megan wiped at her eyes. "Thank you for listening. It felt...really good to let it out."

Robin grinned but on the inside, he was panicking. Were they all going to tell their story? He didn't want to be the one to say no while everyone else told, but he was _not_ going to say anything about his past.

Zatanna reached for the alcohol.

"Zee—" Wally reached for the bottle.

"Nope. No. You're not going to tell me what to do. I don't know when I'm going to die, and I would like to try alcohol just once." Zatanna shrugged. "Besides, I'm about to need it."

"Zatanna, you know you do not have to..." Kaldur was watching her warily.

She shook her head. "No, I do. I—I need to get this out. It'll kill me if I don't."

She took a swig of the bottle, coughing for a moment before regaining her composure and taking another sip.

"At the beginning, it was just me and my dad..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that this is not another chapter. I realized that there were some continuity errors and wanted to fix them before finishing chapter 8. I am working on it though and I hope to have it up within the next few days! Those of you still with me, thank you for sticking with me.

"My dad was Zatara—"

"Holy shit!" Artemis leaned forward, staring at Zatanna with wide eyes. "The Zatara?"

"Who is Zatara?" Megan asked, confused. Did Artemis know Zatanna's dad?

"He was a famous magician." Zatanna smiled at Wally's scoff. She knew how Wally felt about magic. On one supply hunt, he had come back muttering about how magic wasn't real while Megan played with some gags they had found at a magic store.

"We traveled around a lot." Zatanna paused for a moment, taking another swig from the bottle. "We didn't usually go to small places like Happy Harbor, but Dad had been offered a pretty good deal to come here." She looked down, smiling ruefully. "Everything went to hell that night."

The others watched Zatanna carefully, but Robin glanced away. He didn't want to hear what had happened to her dad. It already sounded pretty close to the beginning of his story.

"My dad was performing as usual when—" Zatanna swallowed, trying to hold her tears back. "There was screaming coming from the lobby. I was backstage, but it was so loud. It felt like it was happening right next to me. My dad stopped what he was doing, and one of the security guards peeked out the door to see what was going on." She shuddered. "His nose got bitten off."

This time, Zatanna took a much longer drink from the bottle. Wally chuckled nervously. "Hey, save some for the rest of us." He was elbowed by Artemis, who was glaring fiercely at him, but Zatanna only smiled.

"Yeah, I guess I should. I mean, we're all here for a reason."

"Amen to that."

Zatanna took a breath before continuing her story. "The guard just...fell back. There was so much blood, but then those—those things came in and it became a massacre." She shuddered again. "A scared crowd is a dead crowd. Someone had told me that once. I don't remember who but after that night, I believed it with all my heart. I'm pretty sure my dad, me and some of the security guards were the only ones to make it out that night."

_"This way!"_

"There was a door backstage that led to the parking lot. My dad and I were ushered into the car while the guards kept the zombies back. Some of the people trying to escape clawed at our car, trying to get in."

_"Please save my baby!"_

_"We're dying out here!"_

_"LET US IN! LET US IN, YOU BASTARD!"_

"I was crying, and my dad held me and turned me so that I wouldn't see out the window. We ended up going back to our hotel room, and that's where we spent the next few months."

Silence ensued as Zatanna paused, biting her lip. "I guess you could say that my story was a little similar to Conner's, except that...well...I was with my dad when he—" She choked on the word. "—when he was bitten."

_"DAD!"_

_"Go, Zatanna! Leave me!"_

_"No! I can't! I—I don't want to be alone!"_

_"Then look away. Look away."_

"He—He raised his gun to his head and..." Zatanna swallowed. "...I looked away."

_"I love you."_

"The gun went off and I—I ran. I didn't look back." She ran a shaking hand through her hair. "I was hysterical. I—I probably would have died, but you guys saved me, and—and I've been here ever since."

"At least you know he's dead." Wally muttered. Robin glanced over at him but didn't say anything. It wasn't his place to ask.

"I am sorry, my friend." Kaldur bowed his head. Zatanna gave him a watery smile, rubbing her eyes before any more tears can fall.

"It's okay. It was a while ago. I just wish that I had a photo of him. I didn't bring any on the tour."

The others nodded. Some, like Conner and Megan, had been lucky enough to grab a photo before leaving their homes for good. The others hadn't had the time or the opportunity to, and their hearts ached to see their family's faces.

Kaldur pursed his lips for a moment before standing and walking to his room. He came back out a moment later with to photos. He held them out for his friends to see.

"These are my mother and father." He pointed to the first photo, which showed a beautiful young woman and a handsome stern-looking man. "These are my friends, Tula and Garth." He pointed to the other photo, which showed a pretty young redhead and a handsome young man. "You know about my father already. He was one of the original people who had the virus and turned…I put him down."

Megan frowned, putting a hand Kaldur's shoulder. "I am sorry, Kaldur. But…what happened to your mom? And your friends? Unless you don't want to answer that! I would understand!"

"It is all right. My mother was an elementary schoolteacher. I haven't seen her since she left for work the day of the breakout."

"I'm—I'm sorry." Megan frowned, feeling horrible about bringing that memory up for Kaldur. He smiled at her.

"It is all right, Megan. As for my friends, I went to go find them while I was getting supplies. I only found empty houses."

"Maybe they got away in time." Kaldur shrugged at Conner.

"I have thought about that. I have no proof whether or not they are alive or...dead. I can only hope that they are still alive and well."

The room was silent for a moment, only ending when Wally interrupted it.

"Well! This has been...an enlightening night. I'm pretty tired though so I think I'm gonna head to bed." For once, Artemis didn't argue with him and actually followed him to the bedroom, much to the surprise of the group. Roy sat for a moment before shrugging and standing up, also leaving the room. Robin looked around for a moment before standing as well.

"I, uh, think I'm gonna head to bed too. I can just sleep on the floor if—"

"You can share my bed." Everyone turned to Zatanna in surprise, who looked shocked herself at her outburst.

"Uh, thanks." Robin grinned. Zatanna stood and they both walked to the bedroom, leaving the room in silence once more.

"I don't want to push..."

"I think they should tell there stories." If anyone was blunt, it was Conner.

"Give them time." Kaldur stood. "We do not know what they have been through, and in this world, situations can become very bad very quick."

Megan yawned. "It is pretty late. I think I'm going to sleep too."

The three stood, ready to head off to bed, when they heard a scream.

It came from the bedroom.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ: If you didn’t notice, I updated the other chapter. There were some continuity errors that I had to fix before I continued this story. But as I promised in the last chapter, here is the new one. Thanks again for being patient.

"Wally! Run!"

"No! Uncle Barry!"

"Don't stop! Just keep going!"

"Uncle Bar-"

“RUN!"

Wally shot up, screaming. The nightmare was always the same, but it never ceased to terrify him. It had been months since the Breach happened, but the memories were still fresh in his mind. Uncle Barry…Aunt Iris…

He missed them.

The door suddenly slammed open—at the same time, a hand touched his shoulder—causing Wally to grab his trusty hammer (which he always kept by his bed). He scrambled to his feet and raised the hammer to strike, only to relax when he realized it was just Megan, Conner, and Kaldur at the door (with Roy appearing behind them). He let out a sigh of relief and lowered his weapon.

“Man, you guys scared me.”

“Scared you?” Artemis’ eyes flashed dangerously. “You scared us! What the hell were you yelling about?”

The faux easy smile that had been forming on Wally’s face dropped immediately.

“S’nothing. It was just a nightmare. I’m sorry I worried you guys.” Wally muttered, his eyes lowering to the floor.

The group relaxed, understanding. All of them had had nightmares at some point and still did at times.

But Wally had sounded so tortured…

“Do—Do you want to talk about it?” Megan asked.

“No!” Wally snapped but immediately regretted it as Megan shrank back. Conner growled at him.

“You don’t have to be rude about it.”

Wally swallowed. “Right. Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry, Megan.”

She shook her head. “No! No! It’s my fault. I—I shouldn’t have asked.” She laughed nervously. “Everyone has a story, right? I don’t know what you went through, and just because I shared doesn’t mean you have to.”

“One day—maybe— I can share it, but I can’t now. I just…I can’t.”

“And we understand, Wally.” Kaldur said, his eyes softening. “I hope that one day you will feel comfortable enough with us and your past.”

“Me too.” Wally sighed, refusing to look at anyone. “Me too.”

* * *

Wally wanted to be left alone for a bit, so the others headed out into what they had dubbed the ‘living room’. Really, it was just the front of the store. Of course, all unnecessary stuff, like the cash register, had been thrown out. The front counter had also been chopped down and, along with any other wood they could find, used to barricade the windows and door. There was the dirty, old couch that Megan and Conner liked to sit on, as well as a matching armchair (Zatanna usually was the one to sit in it). The fire pit, roof hatch, and supply cache were on the other side of the room. Roy liked to sit in the corner, appropriately named ‘Roy’s Corner,’ on that side of the store for some reason. It wasn’t a big place to live in, only having three rooms (the front, the employee break room [where Kaldur, Megan, Conner, and Roy slept], and the back room [where everyone else slept]), but it was their home, and it was a much better than trying to survive outside.

Everyone, minus Roy and Robin, situated themselves in the sitting area. Roy, as per usual, sat in his corner while Robin sat a little ways away, a look of deep concentration on his face. To be honest, Wally’s nightmare had woken him from his own. His own had been pretty severe, but his body had been trained not to make a noise while asleep, in case it attracted unwanted company.

“Robin? Why don’t you come sit with us?” Zatanna smiled and patted the space next to her in the armchair. They were both small enough to sit together in it without feeling too squeezed.

Robin cracked a smile and stood. Before he moved, though, he turned towards Roy. “Hey, why don’t you join them too, dude? It’s gotta be pretty lonely over here sometimes.”

Roy looked up, squinting at Robin suspiciously. Apparently not finding anything, he sighed in resignation and stood, following Robin to where the rest of the group was sitting. Everyone looked surprised as Roy sat a near Artemis and started cleaning his arrows again. Robin grinned and sat next to Zatanna.

“Roy rarely ever sits with us.” Zatanna whispered to Robin as conversation picked up around them. “He’s always so quiet.”

“He probably feels a little outside the group.” Robin whispered back. “I mean, he’s the oldest for one, right? So he probably feels weird around everyone. Then everyone has some sort of part. Megan and Conner are a couple, Artemis and Wally have that sexual tension, you’re the young one that everyone feels protective of, and Kaldur is like the leader. Even I am fitting in already. Sure, Roy is cool and is pretty awesome with that crossbow, but he’s a grumpy and silent person. It’s probably harder for him to get along. Conner’s the same, but he has Megan to help him with that.”   
Zatanna thought for a moment. “Okay. I think I get what you’re saying. So we should try to include Roy more?”

“Yeah. I mean, don’t push him too much. He’ll just pull away, and that’ll make everything worse.”

“Okay.” Zatanna grinned. “I think we can do that. Hey, how do you know so much about this anyway?”

Robin’s smile fell as he glanced away. “There was someone in my last group kinda like that.” The conversation going on around them slowly died down. “Heh. He wasn’t much of a people person, let alone a kid person. He did his best though.” Robin cleared his throat, trying to hold the tears back.

“Please don’t leave me! I don’t want to be alone again…”

He shook his head and looked up. Everyone was watching him in concern—some in curiosity as well. Robin stood up abruptly, startling Zatanna as he made a beeline for the ‘bedroom’.

“I think Wally probably fell asleep again so I’m get some real sleep this time. Thanks again for letting me stay here.” Everyone watched him go. As soon as the door closed, Artemis turned back to the group.

“Are we sure we can trust this kid? We barely know him.”

“Artemis! He’s only thirteen!” Zatanna whisper-yelled.

“A seriously badass kid that took out a hoard all by himself!”

“He seems nice enough.” Megan said, biting her lip nervously. “And Zatanna is right. We didn’t turn her away when we found her. Why should we do that to him?”

“He could be dangerous.” Artemis reasoned.

“Any one of us could be dangerous.” Roy finally spoke, causing everyone but Conner and Kaldur to jump. “Sure, we don’t know his backstory, but we don’t know yours either, Artemis. You wanna share with us?” She glared at him. “Exactly. I’m not too keen on sharing right now either. Neither is Wally. If what he said is true, then he lost two groups, as well as being alone for two years. Cut him some slack.” The kid was already starting to grow on him. He got along well with Wally and Zatanna and didn’t seem like a threat, so he was okay with Roy.

Kaldur suddenly spoke. “At one time, you all came to me looking for a place to stay. I did not turn you away. I did not know everything about you then, and yet I still let you in. I am not saying that we immediately trust him—we should keep an eye on him for the next few days—but do not be so quick to judge.” He stood. “We can discuss this some more tomorrow. For now, I am going to get some rest as it has been a long night. I think you all should do the same.”

The others watched him go before standing as well. Kaldur was right. It was late, and they were all tired.

Roy hefted his crossbow and nodded at the group. “I’ll take first watch.”

“You can wake me in a few hours. I don’t mind taking second shift.” Artemis yawned.

“Thanks, Artemis.” Megan hugged the girl. “Good night!” She took Conner’s hand and went to their room.

Zatanna watched the two archers, narrowing her eyes at Artemis. “Robin’s cool. You’ll see.” She walked off to her room, leaving the two alone.

“I hope you’re right about this.” For once, Artemis looked worried. Sure, she liked the kid, but it was a dangerous world. It was hard to tell who could be trusted.

“Me too.” Roy murmured as she left. He climbed up the ladder and settled himself in for a long shift. “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I am so sorry about updating so late. I have just been lacking motivation in everything lately, as well as getting really busy with college since I am now double majoring, one of which is technically a science course. Thank you again for those who are still with me. I hope I don’t disappoint you again and update soon.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning saw everyone in the same spot as yesterday with the addition of Wally. He and Robin were discussing something that sounded vaguely scientific, but Artemis was pretty sure she heard ‘Hulk’ in there somewhere. Kaldur and Megan were discussing book they had found and read. Conner was sitting next to Megan, just listening. He hadn’t been very interested in reading and was content to just sit and watch to two. Artemis and Roy were both polishing their arrows and quietly arguing about who was the better archer.

Zatanna, who was sitting next to Robin and trying to follow along with their debate, first heard it.

“Do you guys hear that?” All conversation stopped. In the distance, a faint rumbling could be heard.

“What is that?” Megan’s eyebrows furrowed.

Robin stood, looking faintly alarmed. “It’s a truck. A _big_ truck, probably, but…”

Robin didn’t need to say anymore; everyone knew what he meant. Somebody was driving, which meant…

“I’m going to check it out.” Roy moved towards the ladder.

“Be careful.” Kaldur spoke, watching worriedly.

Roy climbed and poked his head out of the hatch as little as he could and still have vision. His eyes widened at the sight of multiple vehicles— _armed_ vehicles—plowing towards their little safe haven. He lowered the hatch and dropped down. His expression told the group everything.

“Conner. Wally.” Kaldur suddenly ordered. “Go get our weapons.”

“Kaldur, this is not a fight you’re going to win.” Robin now seemed calm as he spoke, stepping towards Kaldur, who looked down at him dismally.

“I know, but there is nothing else we can do. We cannot get everyone out of here in time. I am sorry to have brought you into this.”

Robin’s face hardened. “I’m sorry too. ” He ran off towards the bedroom he had been staying in, presumably to get his stuff before leaving.

“Robin!” Zatanna yelled, shocked. He was going to leave them? Just like that? She made to go after him, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. It was Artemis.

“Let him go. He’s not going to help us.” Artemis’ jaw was set. She knew not to trust the little brat, though she couldn’t exactly blame him. He had only been around for two days—that was not enough time to get attached—and Hell seemed to have broken loose. Had it been her, she probably would have run too.

Conner and Wally came back in with the weapons and passed them around. Wally looked around when he realized Robin hadn’t come to pick up a gun.

“Hey, where’s Robin?”

“There’s no time for that now.” Like Robin’s earlier, Kaldur’s gaze had hardened as he took his twin machetes and a pistol. “Artemis. Roy. I need you up on the roof. Wally and Conner—at the windows.” The windows had been broken long ago, and a board on each window were removable in case of situations like the one currently happening. Kaldur didn’t voice what he wanted Zatanna and Megan to do right away. He didn’t want them fighting just yet if he could help it.

“What about us?” Zatanna asked, pointing to Megan and herself. Sure, she didn’t want to fight and probably die, but she wasn’t going to hang back while her friends fought for her.

“You’ll be our defense.” Kaldur said. “If anyone gets in, you shoot them.”

“We don’t have enough guns though.” Megan spoke finally, starting to panic.

“I have a pistol in my room.” Artemis was climbing the ladder—Roy was already on the roof. She tried smirk, but it resembled more of a grimace. “It helps me sleep.”

“I’ll go get it!” Megan ran off.

Kaldur held the last gun to Zatanna, who took it with trembling hands.

“I would not ask this of you unless it was absolutely necessary.” Zatanna nodded solemnly at Kaldur, trying to put on a brave face.

The rumbling suddenly stopped, and a tense silence filled the air. The teens waited with bated breath. Zatanna tried to put on a brave face but the tremble of her bottom lip gave away her struggle not to cry.

“Hello!” A male voice suddenly boomed from a megaphone, causing everyone to jump—Wally nearly pressed the trigger of his gun. “My name is Slade Wilson! We have had our eyes on you for a while now! We have a community with food, people, and walls to keep the dead out! I have come to offer you a place in our home in return for your cooperation and contribution to the community. Everyone does their part in Belle Reve.”

A small noise drew Kaldur’s attention to Wally. The poor teen looked like he was going to hyperventilate. He was staring at the boards unseeingly. Kaldur whispered his name a few times before Wally’s eyes slid over to him.

“Kaldur.” Wally whispered harshly. “We can’t go with him. We can’t. _Please_.”

Kaldur wanted to ask why—of course he didn’t want to join the man either, but why was _Wally_ of all people so adamant about not going? Did he know the man?

Kaldur took a deep breath and spoke loud enough for the man outside to hear. “Thank you for your consideration, but we are happy with where we are now.”

Dead silence. Wally was sweating bullets now. Conner peeked out through the window and frowned. “He does not look happy, Kaldur.”

“Well.” Kaldur could practically feel the temperature dropping with the man’s stone-cold tone. “That’s a shame. And I can’t leave anyone knowing about our little town. You may want to steal from us from the future, so I guess that means you have to die.”

Zatanna and Wally let out a choked sound while Kaldur’s eyes widened. They didn’t have time to do anything else before their home was being littered with bullets.

“Get down!” Kaldur shouted. Zatanna let out a shriek as she did what he said. A grunt to his right showed Conner wincing as a bullet grazed his shoulder. He heard a cry of pain from above—male, _Roy_. He crouched, trying to keep any panic he felt from his expression. He couldn’t let the others see. He was their unspoken leader. He had to remain calm for them.

“GRENADE!” He heard Artemis shout from above. Conner was able to force himself away from the wall, but Wally was frozen in shock. Kaldur grabbed him and yanked him away before an explosion shook the ground. Wood splintered and showered over them as dust rained from above. Zatanna was crying now.

He heard another cry of pain from above, this time female, and the gunfire stopped. No one moved. Zatanna was quietly sobbing in Conner’s arms as he aimed a gun at the fragile door. They waited, hoping that the archers above them were still alive and anguished that they couldn’t check on them.

The door was kicked in and Conner fired, but no one was standing there. A shot sounded and Conner yelled, dropping the gun as a splash of red burst from his hand. Five men walked in, the leader obviously being in the front. Kaldur could tell from the way the man held himself, as if he had all the power in the world. Kaldur did not like those kinds of people.

The leader, Slade, walked up to him—Kaldur was still crouched—and sneered down at him. “Are you the leader of this little group?”

Kaldur’s eyes wandered over the room. He saw his friends—terrified, covered in dust and and wood fragments—and nodded grimly. The man’s eyes hardened, and he violently kicked Kaldur in the head. He crumpled to the ground, hearing Zatanna screaming as his head swam. He felt another kick to his stomach. He faintly registered two of the other men starting in on Conner and tried to protest, but a kick to his mouth stopped him. Blood filled his mouth.

“Stop!” He heard Wally yell— _no don’t, Wally_ —and the kicking stopped. Kaldur cracked his eyes open and saw Slade staring at Wally.

“Well, what do we have here? Is that little Wally West? I thought you had died the last time I saw you.” So they did know each other.

“Yeah, ‘cause of _you_.” Wally spat, and Kaldur wanted to stop him—tell him not to antagonize the man.

“We’ll agree to disagree.” Slade grabbed Wally and yanked him up. “Change of plan, boys. We’re going to take them in.”

“But Sla—Dea—“

“Shut up.” The icy tone was back, shutting up the man, practically a boy, who had spoken.

“Cameron, take Kobra and get the two off the roof. Bane go grab some more men. We need to take them back to base. And search the place. There could be more of them.” He turned towards Wally and smirked. “Don’t worry about this one. I’ll deal with him personally.”

“No…” Kaldur moaned and tried to get up. He got another kick in the head and collapsed.

“Kaldur? Kaldur!” One of Slade’s men picked up Zatanna and carried her out as she kicked and screamed. Another man picked Kaldur up and dragged him out, but he could barely feel it. He was losing consciousness.

His last thought before succumbing to darkness: _I hope Robin got away._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally getting more of this done. Yay! I do have a paper due next week, though, so I won't really be able to work on this until afterwords. I'm really proud of this chapter though so let me know what you guys think!


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